This evening, we threaded our way through the aisles of Company Shops Market and wound up the creaking back stairs of the co-op grocery. We were headed towards a quiet celebration of a remarkable phenomenon that is occurring throughout this region. Have you heard of SlowMoneyNC? They are a matchmaker of sorts, who facilitates connections between agricultural and food entrepreneurs and community members willing to help fund their initiatives. Run on a volunteer basis, SlowMoneyNC has facilitated over $500,000 in community loans, including the one we are celebrating tonight.
(L-R Charles Sydnor, his wife Cindy Sydnor, Tom Sineath, Eric Henry, Lyle Estill, his Brother Glen Estill, Carol Peppe Hewitt and her husband Mark Hewitt)
Eric Henry, President of a environmentally and socially responsible T-Shirt company, has spearheaded a project with Carolina farmers to begin growing organic cotton. Much of the organic cotton sold in the US comes from places like Turkey, India and China. When Eric and his business partner, Tom Sineath, began looking to buy organic cotton from nearby sources, they learned that it simply wasn’t available. Rather than give up, they decided to do it themselves and Eric began a search for local farmers willing to give it a try.
Last month, certified organic cotton was harvested and ginned for the first time in North Carolina. Eric Henry and TS Designs are rightfully proud of this accomplishment and the success of their partnerships with local farmers and textile companies. They now have a source for local organic cotton and the desire to turn all that wonderful new cotton into NC Made T-shirts.
In order to make this happen, they were going to have to buy the cotton, have it spun, turned into cloth and sewn into shirts. For a small company, that’s a lot of inventory and expense. Expense that has to be paid months before the first t-shirt is ready to be printed. TS Designs turned to SlowMoneyNC for help. Through the assistance of Co-Founder Carol Peppe Hewitt, SlowMoneyNC was able to fund TS Design’s project.
After the signing of the loan, a gathering of friends and supporters came together to celebrate the occasion. The table was surrounded by local farmers, chefs, craft brewers, co-op grocery staff, bio-fuel manufacturers, local business owners and community leaders. Everyone took the time to introduce themselves and share a bit about what they are doing within the local community. It was an inspiring group of individuals and we were so glad to see you all tonight.
Afterwards, everybody headed downstairs to the Company Shops Cafe. It was lovely to break bread with friends and meet new people, catch up on each others news, and discuss ideas for further collaboration.
(L-R Cameron Ratliff of Saxapahaw General Store, Suzanne Nelson of Cozi Farm, Sarah Cook of Luck Photography)
Congratulations to TS Designs and SlowMoneyNC in successfully funding yet another great idea that makes our economy and community even stronger. Here’s to a brighter and better future here in the Piedmont region.
~ Sarah & Nate